Social Media, Indian Youth and Cyber Terrorism Awareness: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Cyber Terrorism is one of the most ignored and under estimated activities in India. Indian Youth which is the third highest number of Internet and social media users after China and the U.S. with an estimated over 381 million mobile phone subscriptions with Internet connectivity. Cyber Terrorism has now become a gruesome activity, it leads to killing someone financially and India is becoming its latest victim. Everyday various newspapers are filled with the stories of cybercrimes. It is not a future threat or a prospective threat; it is an ongoing, current threat. With increasing dependence on cyber space and the Internet, vulnerability to aggressors — whether it is terrorists, criminals or hostile countries, is also increasing. In this study, the habits of teenagers all around India shows the compulsive type of behaviour of text messages but very less knowledge and awareness about the threat of cyber terrorism. These facts not only outline in clear terms the immense popularity of the internet and the use of social media but are also indicative of the fact that Indian youth is very less concerned about the threat of cyber terrorism.